Pneumatic system of mining coal and removing foul gases from mine-chambers.



E. G. MORGAN. PNEUMATIC $YSTEM 0F MINING COAL AND REMOVING FOUL GASES FROM MINE CHAMBERS.

APPLICATION TILED JULYG. 1914.

Batented Mar. 16, 1915' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. nmwz Z021 ,Fimanc? 67 Naryan E. G. MORGAN.

PNEUMATIC SYSTEM OF MINING GOAL AND REMOVING FOUL GASES FROM MINE CHAMBERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6,1914.

1,131,852. Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

.mining and loading apparatus; Fig. 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND C. MORGAN OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN MORGAN COMPANY, OF PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

PNEUMATIC SYSTEM OF MINING CO AL AND REMOVING FOUL GASES CHAMBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

o i i al application filed. November 10, 1896, Serial No. 611,608. Divided and this application filed Tuly G, 1914. Serial No. 849,072.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND C. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certa n new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Systems of Mining Coal and Removing Foul Gases from Mine-Chambers, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to a system oi mining coal and of withdrawing from a coal mine foul gases and dust-laden 31F.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a system of chambers and fines in a mine cooperating with suction fans or blowers so as to maintain clear the space where the mining operations take place.

According to the principles of my invention, a pneumatic system is provided in connection with a mining machine to constantly Withdraw from the mine wall Where the machine is operating any obnoxiousgases that may accumulate from blasting or otherwise and also remove the fine particles of mined materials that are drawn away from the machine by the currents of air.

Other objects of the invention w1ll appear more fully hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

' The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 611,603, filed November 10, 1896, for an unprovement in an apparatus for and system of mining coal.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and to the various views and reference signs appearing thereon,Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of my invention applied to a mining machine of the type disclosed and covered in my copending application Serial No. 611,603, referred to above, said Fig. 1 also disclosing a loading apparatus including a scoop and an endless belt conveyer, which is covered in my copending application Serial No. 607,753, filed February 10, 1911, for an improvement in is a view in plan indicating the system of clearing a mine chamber of smoke, dust, foul air, gases, and the like; Fig. 3 is a similar view in longitudinal section diagrammatically illustrating tlie system of removing the fine particles of coal from the point Where the mining operation takes place; and Fig. 4. is a view in end elevation of the arrangement indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

In thepractical operation of mining it is necessary and important to supply fresh air to the attendants at the point Where the mining operation is being carried on and to remove from such point foul air, gases, dust, smoke and the like. This necessity is all the more urgent where blasting iseniployed in order to remove the smoke and other gases incident to the explosion. Heretofore the ventilation has been effected by pumping fresh air into the room, but this practice requires a cessation of work after each blast to enable the smoke and foul air to be driven out. In order to obviate this loss of time and at the same time to provide an arrangement wherein an eflicient ventilation is maintained, I provide the following arrangement: At a point adjacent to the place where the work is being done and where the blasts take place and adjacent the roof of the room I mount a reel 121, upon which is wound a sheet of canvas 122 of a Width approximately equal to the width of the room or mine chamber. From this reel the canvas is unwound by hand orby advancement of the mining machine while the rear end of the canvas is held stationary. The canvas is extended lengthwise of the room to the mouth or entry thereof and a suiiicient distance from the roof to leave a channel or space therebetween which will serve as a fine. Suitable stanchions or supports 123, as shown in Fig. 3, may be employed to properly support the canvas 122. In such case also the reel 121 may be mounted on or supported by the framework of the machine as by means of standards indicated at 6 in Fig. 1, which are mounted on the main frame A. A cooperating pivoted flap 124,- of any desired material, may be em:

ployed and arranged adjacentthereel 121, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, which wlll serve as a continuation of the canvas toward the front of the machine in connection with the shield plate 49, which extends entlrely across the mine chamber or nearly so. By means of the flap 124 and the shield 49 a flue is continued toward the front of the machine to a point where it is inconvenient to carry the reel 121 by reason of the arrangement of the machinery.

From this arrangement it will be readily seen and understood that as the fresh air is pumped into the room under the canvas and toward the heading where the cutting mechanism is operating, the foul air, gas, dust, smoke, and the like, will be forced out through the flue formed between the canvas and the roof of the room and which flue extends from a point adjacent the end wall of the room where the cutters are operating to the mouth or entry of such room.

- Obviously the draft of air may be of suflicient strength to not only carry away foul air and smoke, but also to pick up the finer particles of coal as soon as produced by the undercutters and side cutters and swept into the path of such draft. Thus it will be seen that the mine chamber may be rapidly cleared of the smoke and the like after a blast and will be kept effectively ventilated by reason of the constant draft through the flue. Furthermore, if the strength of the draft is made sufficient the dust produced by the cutting operation and the finer particles of coal dislodged by the cutting mechanism will be icked up and carried away through the ue and thence through the outlet shaft of the mine, where such finely divided coal may be collected and stored for transportation.

The principle of ventilating and pneumatically removing fine particles of coal, as above explained, may be carried out in practice more efficiently in connection with" two or more adjacent or contiguous rooms. In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 I have shown somewhat diagrammatically the principle of the pneumatic system as applied to adjacent or 0on tiguous rooms. As shown, the fresh air enters one of the rooms, say for instance, at the point A, and traverses the length of the room C until the break-through or passage 126 between the rooms 0 and D is reached, and then the current of fresh air divides, one part continuing to traverse the entire length of the room C and the other part traversing the room D underneath the canvas 122, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. In other words, when the fresh air enters the mine chamber at A it passes beneath the canvas near the roof, part going through the passage 126 and part continuing along the chamber ,0. The air, therefore, enters and passes along in the space directly to the outlet anama between the canvas of each room and the the rooms are reached, the fresh air driving before it foul air, gases, smoke, dust and the finer particles of coal. Adjacent the under walls of the rooms and near the roofs the canvas reels 121 are located and the canvas is stretched therefrom outwardly to the entries, and hence the smoke, dust, etc., will be forced toward the entrance or mouth of the-rooms through the space formed between said canvas and the roof.

In the case of the room 0, for instance, I arrange a flap or other obstruction 125 in the flue above the canvas so as to shut off the incoming current of air above the canvas at the entry A. This cross partition or flap 125 is arranged at a point adjacent the break-through or passage 126 between the latter and the entry A, as shown in Fig. 2. The passage 126, it will be understood, connects the two rooms 0 and D through the intervening pillar and on the sidethereof toward the entry or mouth of the room, as shown. It. should also be observed that a suitable canvas or other device, indicated at 127 in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines in Fig. 4, serves to form a flue passage above the passage 126 in continuation of the fiues above the stretches of canvas in the rooms C and D. Therefore, the stream of gases, smoke and fine particles of coal coming from the rooms 0 and D to the flues near the roofs of the rooms, as indicated by the full line arrows in Fig. 2, will mingle and pass out together through the entry or mouth of the room D at-the point B; Therefore, after the gases and dust-laden air pass from the mine headlng to the space above the canvas they will pass B from the room D, and from the room 0 to the same outlet B after first passing through the passage 126 above the horizontal partition 127. The passage 126, therefore, is divided into a lower chamber and an upper flue, fresh air in the chamber below passing in the same direction as the gases and dust-laden air in the flue above. This is illustrated in Fig. 2, where the dotted arrows show the direction and course of passage of the fresh air after entering the intake opening or entry A, whereas the full line arrows represent the direction of the gases and dust-laden air after entering the flues formed by the canvases. It should be understood that the cross partition 125 is above the canvas in room (1 and therefore the gases and dustladen air above the canvas in that room cannot pass again to the entry A, but must pass through the passage 126 above the horizontal partition127 and thence out through the outlet opening B, together with the gases and dust-laden air that come from the heading into room D".

' floor of that room until the end walls 1 of Y ime In. order-tocaiismflielfresb airxtortr'ieveliie the length of thie-.roormEf'"beneatlr.the can vas. therein-after entering the: same from: the room G through the passage 126, insteadof escaping through the. orentry of the, room D, I. prefer to! arrange at the mouth oinentry- B 128- im :Figs. 3' and-4i- In this: partitiom- 128 may be arranged, if desired, a suitable: or:

ordinary automatic mineid'oor 129 ima mannerwell understoodbypersons skilled-Lin. the art; Thus it will be seen. thflt:i}h6: fresh air is introduced througlr the moutlr or :5 entry oat onaroom: and the! smoke,- dust fine particles of' cosh etc, are darned outthrough the mouth. or entry ofi the other room.

In the usual practice-ct mining it is cus- 2 D? tomary to sink a hoisting: shaftand from: saidshaft to: work. ofii an entry or room. This is usuallyy. at' firstl, of com parativelyshort length, andfrom /said room other reomsare mined out to-co'nnect' with 26' an air shaft whiohis separate from: the. hoisting shaft amt-through: which fresh air is suppliedito thelmine by means of wellknown blowers. 'lihe room or entry extending from. the hoisting: shaft. is then: com-- 30: tinned as far intothe native bed of: coal as may be.- desired. Usually the. mining? ma.- chines, such as that disclosed in the drawings, are constructed to -acute room about twelve feet wide, buaaofrcourse, it will be 36 readily understood. that :therooms may be cut tohave any other 'dimensionsby varying the size and proportions ofi-the machine. Leading off: from theimain entry extending from the hoisting shaft other rooms may be 4 mined out, said roomsextending: parallel with each other and having intervening waiis ompillars usually of the same general dimensions as the=rooms'.

As occasion-may require and in order to avoid the necessity for-objectionablygreat lengths of canvas for flue purposes, break );hroughs or passages -1261may be formed through the intervening wall or pillar between adjacent rooms for the purpose here-- inbefore specified:andin themanner aboveexplained. It will thus-be-seen that asingle or as many machines as may be desiredmay be employed-inasingle-mine until the mine is entirely worked; I- therefore it tobe understood that my invention contemplates the use of-as strong drafts as may be desired produced by ablower well known to those skilled in the art, which may bole cated at a shaft of the mine separate from 69 the hoisting shaft or in the'mine in one of the entries leading from the ventilatingshaft or as close to the place where the mining operation is-being conducted as may be desired- By means-of the partitions such as that indicated at 125 imFig. 2;:above the beneath the canvas;- near the: roofa-flap. or. other partitiom, indicated-am purposes near the roof of th'e rooms such flties maybe formed along the vertical side walls thereof; This arrangement is particu larly well: adapted for low roofminechambersand inconnection with machines of the character requiringthe low-down typeof machine where the vein of coal is usuallythin or-shallow. I have deemedit unneces. sary totspecifically' show-the canvas extendingalong the sidewalls, as it is obvious how this-maybe done: For instance, the reel in theroom-D" could be placed near the wall distant: from the passage 126 and the partition 128' could be placed between the canvas and the wall through" which the passagei126extends; In a similar manner the canvas inthe room- C couldbe placed near the wall distant from the passage 126 and the partition 125 omitted: Fresh air could therefore enter the intake opening or entry' A and extend along both rooms in parallel and thence through the space between the canvas and the outside walls;

The=gases and dust-laden: air could then be extended to the hoisting shaft.

It should be understood that the' material forming the flues may be of any kind of flexible material other than canvas, if desired. If canvasis used, however, on account of its lightness-and compactness,- I prefer to use a blower for drawing air from the outside atmosphere'through the ventilating shaft and forcing it" into the space occupied by the mining machine. By doing this the pressure of the air above and below the canvas is maintained more uniform and is not liable tocause the canvas to flap toward the ceiling as it might if a suction fan were employed to withdraw the air from the space above the canvas, unless the canvas is quite heavy.

Although I have shown a particular type of='miningmachine and loading apparatus I have done so merely to illustrate the preferredform'of the invention; but it will be understood that other types of mining machines such as those of well known construction may be used if desired, but it is merely I necessary to provide suitable means for mounting the reel 121 on the framework of the machine so that thelcanvas122 may be automatically unwound as the machine moves forward. The flap 124 may be pivotally connected to the mining machine. In Fi 1 Ihaveshown the flap 1% pivotedat-a to the shield 49. The flap=124 may bemade 131 of any desired material and extendentirely across the machine from one side wall to the other and thus effectively aetas a brake on the canvas to hold the same taut near the roof of the mine. However, stanchions 123,

as shown in Fig. 3, as well as partitions suchprovement in mining and loading apparatus.

Iowever, I wish to explain the function of the shield 49, because it cooperates with the flap 124 in extending the flue near the roof of the mine to a point nearer the mine wall than is convenient for the reel 121. The shield 49 preferably extends entirely across the machine from one side wall to the other or nearly so, being mounted on each side as shown in Fig. 1. When the motor is operated the gearing L, Q is actuated and this effects the rotation of the longitudinal shaft B. When the clutch 31 is thrown in, the bevel gear 27 meshes with the gear 28, rotates the vertical shaft carried by the frame A, and in this way the undercutting cutters 26 and the side cutters 32 are all simultaneously operated to cut kerfs in the mine wall. When the gear 28 is rotated, the shaft 29,is also rotated together with the bevel gear 47 thereon, and by means of other suitable gearing the horizontal shaft is rotated. By this means motion is transmitted to the bevel gear 46 and the bevel gear 52. The socket 55 of the drill 54 is thus rotated, the shaft of the socket being carried by the bearing depending from the shield 49. After the holes in the wall are drilled, the drills are removed from the, sockets 55 and taken out, whereupon the shield 49 may be turned to a vertical position which is permitted to be done by the pivotal connection 7 with the flap 124. However, when the shield 49 is turned to a central position in front of blast holes in the mine wall, the flap 124 may be of sufiicient length to still maintain the continuity of the flue near the roof of the mine chamber. It should be understood that although Fig. 1 shows the side cutter in full lines it extends into a narrow side kerf in the mine wall a considerable depth as illustrated by the break I lines. Therefore, at all times the flue continues to act as such and the strong draft of .air takes all the coal dust and the finer particles of coal and waits them through the flue near the roof of the mine chamber.

function and mode of o flue for directing currents Therefore, not only is the mine wall ventilated near the mining machine and all foul air and gases due to the blastin operation taken away from the mine cham er, but the finer particles of coal are also forced u the flue particularly the fine particles proclhced by the side cutters and under cutter, and thus the continuous progress of the mining malchiine through the mine wall is not impe e Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and a form of operative means embodying the same, and having explained the construction, arrangement, eration thereof, I desire it to be understoo that I do not confine or limit myself to the specific details and arrangement shown and described, as many variations and changes would readily suggest themselves to" persons skilled in the art and still fall within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. The combination with a mining masaid mining machine, and means for automatically lengthening said flue continuously as the said mining machine moves forward and in accordance with such forward movement.

2. The combination with a mining machine of flexible material, means for supporting the same in a roll, and devices for supporting the flexible material to form a partition in a mine chamber to constitute a of air over a predetermined path of travel. 3. The combination with a mine chamber, of a miningmachine in said mine chamber, and means connected to said mining machine comprising flexible material extending across said mine chamber to form a flue extending rearwardly from said mining machine.

4. The combination with a mining machine, of a reel of flexible material carried by said mining machine, 3 and means for supportin said flexible material to form a flue exten ing from said mining machine.

5. The combination with a mine, of a mining machine, a reel of flexible material mounted on said mining machine, means for supporting said flexible material to form a flue in said mine, and a flap for extending the flue toward the front end of said mining machine.

6. The combination with a mining machine, of a reel of flexible material mounted on said mining machine, a pivoted plate resting on saidreel of flexible material, and means for supporting said flexible material to form a flue extending rearwardly from said mining machine.

mamas The combination with a frame of a mining machine, of a mine having a wall to be operated upon by said mining machine, a reel of flexible material mounted on said frame, a shield plate for protection during blasting, and an intervening plate co-acting with said shield plate to extend the fiue formed by said flexible material to a position close to the mine wall.

8. The combination with a mining machine, of a mine heading, flexible material extending rearwardly from said mining machine, a shield plate for protection during blasting. and across plate connecting said shield plate to said flexible material to extend the flue formed thereby to a position near the mine heading.

9. The combination with a mining machine, of a reel of flexible material pivoted to the frame of said mining machine, a shield plate for protection during blasting, and a cross plate pivoted to said shield plate to cooperate therewith in extending the flue formed by said flexible material to a predetermined position.

10. The combination with a mining machine, of a reel of canvas pivotally mounted on the frame of said mining machine, a shield plate pivoted to the frame of said mining machine and capable of being turned to vertical position for protection during blasting, and an intervening plate pivoted to said shield plate and having its free end resting on said reel of canvas to coact with said shield plate to extend the flue formed by said canvas to a predetermined position.

11. The combination with a mining machine, of a mine chamber, a reel of flexible material pivotally mounted on the frame of said mining machine and capable of forming a flue in said mine chamber, and a device engaging the flexible material while on the reel to prevent the reel from being turned too freely.

12. In a mining apparatus, the combination with a mining machine, of a mine room having walls, a reel arranged in the room and at a point adjacent to where the mining operation of said mining machine is being carried on, and a canvas adapted to be unreeled therefrom and arranged to extend from such reel to the mouth or entry of the room and adjacent to one of the walls of the room, thereby forming a ventilating flue.

13. In a mining apparatus, a mine room, a mining machine, a reel carried thereby, a canvas mounted on said reel and adapted to be unwound therefrom and to extend from such machine and in proximity to one of the boundary walls of the room to the mouth or entry thereof, thereby forming a ventilating flue.

14. In a mining apparatus, a mine room, a mining machine, a reel carried thereby,

a eanvaswound on said reel and adapted to be unwound therefrom and to extend in proximity to one of the boundary walls of said machine to the mouth or entry of the room, thereby forming a ventilating flue, and an additional flap arranged adjacent to said reel and between said reel and the end wall of the room.

15. A system of mining coal, comprising a plurality of mine chambers with a mining machine in each of said chambers, a breakthrough connecting said chambers, and partitions near the roof in each of said chambers'and extending entirely across the same and in said break-through to form connecting ventilating flues extending. rearwardly from the mining machine.

16. A system of mining coal, comprising a plurality of mine chambers with a mining machine at the heading in each of said chambers, a break-through connecting said chambers, a horizontal partition extending rearwardly from the mining machine in each of said chambers to form ventilating flues, a horizontal partition in the breakthrough to maintain the continuity of the horizontal partitions in the aforesaid chambers, a vertical partition in one of said chambers back' of the break-through and above the horizontal partition in said chamber, and a vertical partition in the other chamber below the horizontal partition therein.

17. In a system of mining coal, the combination with a mining machine in a mine chamber, of a flexible partition for directing a continuous current of air to said machine and away from the same, and means for automatically extending said partition as the machine moves forward.

18. In mining apparatus, the combination with a mining machine, of a reel of flexible sheet material pivotally mounted on said mining machine of suflicient width to form an extensible flue.

- 19. In mining apparatus, the combination with a mining machine, of a mine chamber, a reel pivotally mounted on said mining machine and carrying a roll of flat flexible material for forming a flue extending rearwardly from the mining machine in the mine chamber, and supports for holding said flexible material in a predetermined position to form such flue.

20. In a system of mining, the combination with adjacent chambers in a mine, of a break-through connecting said chambers, mining machines one in each of said chambers, ventilating fiues for said minin machines, one flue in each of said ad acent chambers, a fine in said break-through connecting the flues in said chambers, means closing one chamber back of said breakthrough, the flue in said last-named chamber remaining open at its ends, and means 15 closing the flue in the other chamber back of two subscrihi lg witn'ewe's, on this"26tg of said ohireakdthrougf'gllil, whereby;1 a (graft 3; day of June, 1914.

air intr uce into e open 0 am er w' carry away fine particles of material from U MORGAN 5 both of-said machines. Witnesses:

" In testimony whereof I have signed my Cms. M. N15511:",

name to this specification, in the presence Cmnws H. Sun. 

